Musical toothbrush holder



R. F. KOPPEL MUSICAL TOOTHBRUSH HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 8, 1949 \NVENTOR L E P P O K F H P L O D U Y Raw fawn

ATTORN EY Oct. 31, 1950 R. F. KOPPEL 2,528,006

MUSICAL TOOTHBRUSH HOLDER Fil'ed Dec. 8 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 132 :30 IBM l5 FIG. 5

ISI I35 I34 I33 I38 I37 I39 I3I fii h AMA I I \\\\\\\IIIIIHJ A I32\ I36 I40 FIG. IO. INVENTOR RUDOLPH F. KOPPEL,

' F l G. 9.

ATTOR N EY Patented Oct. 31, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MUSICAL TOOTHBRUSH HOLDER RudolplrF. Koppel, New York, N. Y. Application December 8, 1949 Serial No. 131,775

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a musical tooth brush holder.- and has particular reference to a tooth brush holder of the type set forth which contains; within its housing, a spring motored musical unit of a standard type, and pocketsfor tooth brushes which, upon removal from the pockets, will release a locking means and set the music producing mechanism in'motion.

An object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described with tripping mechanism, engageable withv the pocketed tooth brushes for locking the music producing mechanlsm out of operation and for releasing same to actuate the music producing mechanism when one or more tooth brushes ar removed from the pocket or pockets.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of an organization in which the constituent elements are 50 arranged structurally and functionally as to assure improved results with materials and members which may be manufactured at reasonable cost, may be easily assembled and which will be eflicient in operation with minimum wear to the parts.

The best embodiment of the invention has been chosen for illustrative purposes, but this embodiment should be viewed as being illustrative only and not as limiting because obviously the invention is capable of other embodiments having revised details of construction, 50 long as they fall within the ambit of the appended claim.

The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, will best be understood from the following description of a specific embodiment when read in connec tion with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the device with a portion of the front wall of the casing broken away.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation of same taken along a plane indicated by lines 2-2 in Figs. 1 and 4.

Fig. 3 is an elevational View showing the rear wall of same Fig. 4 is a top or plan view of same showing parts broken away.

Fig. 5 is a view of the interior, looking toward the rear wall and shows the outer casing or housing in section and a modified form of a part of the control mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a view of the interior showing a part of the casing or housing in section.

Fig. '7 is an elevational section of a tooth brush pocket and is taken substantially along line 'l--'l of Fig. 5.

-' to meet the ridges 24.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail, in. elevation, and is taken in a plane along line 8-8 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged isometric view of a trigger operating means and shows the part withdrawn from the housing, and

Fig. 10 is a detail, partly in section, of a part of the control mechanism.

Referring in detail to the parts, ll designates a casing or housing having a front wall l2, side walls 13 and M, a base IS, a top and roof portion 16 and I1 respectively and a detachabl rear wall I8 which is, attached to the housing I l by means of screws [9 engaging through orifices 20 in the rear wall H3. The screws [9 engage within threaded bores in pedestals 2i integrally formed upon the front wall l2 of the housing and extending therethrough to the rear wall l8.

The top portions [6 of the housing are formed with openings 22 which are in vertical alignment with similar openings 23 formed in the base l5. Ridges or low walls 24 and 25 are integrally formed upon the rear wall l8, (Figs. 1, 2 and 6) and are aligned with walls 25 integrally formed upon the housing and extending through same The walls 26 upon the housing and the aligned ridges 24, together with the side walls l3 and 14, form pockets 2! and 28 through which the handle of a tooth brush may engage and are shown by dot and dash line in Figs. 1 and 7 and by full lines in Fig. 2.

Seated at one end, upon the ridges 24 and 25, in the pockets 2'! and 28, there is a flat spring like member 29 which normally, whenthe tooth brushes are not in the pockets 2! and 28, assumes a position diagonally across the pockets as shown by the dot and dash line in Fig, 2 and by the full lines in Fig. 7. When a tooth brush is inserted through the openings 22 and 23 and the pockets 28, the flat spring 28 is depressed against the rear wall 18, as shown in the above mentioned figures. A cross bar 30, extending from side to side, is secured to the free ends of the flat spring and is depressed when a tooth brush is inserted in the pockets 2! or 28.

The cross bar 30 makes contact with a trigger arm 3| which is pivotally mounted upon the frame of a music playing unit 32 which is secured to the rear wall IS. The trigger arm 3| is prolonged to form a finger 33, the end of which is adapted to be moved into the path of a governor 34 to stop the operating mechanism of the music producing unit or out of the path of same to allow the mechanism to operate.

As hereinbeore stated, with tooth brushes in both pockets 21 and 28, the cross bar 30 is in depressed position and maintains the finger 33 up into the path of the governor 34 thereby holding the music producing mechanism inoperative. Upon withdrawing a tooth brush from its pocket, one end of the cross bar 33 will be released and move outwardly and sufiiciently raise the bar 30, at its point of contact with trigger 3|, to allow the finger 33 to drop and clear the governor 34 thereby permitting the music producing mechanism to operate. Upon withdrawing the second tooth brush from its pocket the finger 33 will drop still further. Thus, it will be observed, that when either one or both tooth brushes are withdrawn, the music producing unit will operate to produce a musical tune, The operation will stop when both tooth brushes are nested in both pockets.

The music producing mechanical unit is a standard equipment, known to the trade as a Swiss movement, or music box unit, the power spring of which may be wound by means of a winding wheel 35 having a hub 36 secured to the shaft 3'! of the spring motor. A pull cord 38 having a tassel 39 is provided to turn the winding wheel. Lugs 40 are integrally formed upon the rear wall I8 and extended outwardly therefrom. Suction cups 4I are attached to the lugs 40 by means of bolts 42 and screws 43 (Fig. 6).

In Figs. to 10, inclusive, there is shown a modified type of cross bar comprising a rocking shaft which is pivotally mounted upon studs I30 integrally formed upon the rear wall I8. The rocking shaft is made in three sections, namely a central section I3I and two end sections I32 and I32 and have swivel connections I33 and I 33 at their opposing ends. The swivel connectors I 33 and I33 each comprise a tubular sleeve I34 (see Fig. which is fixed to the shaft sections I32 and I32 by pins I35 while the opposing ends of the central shaft section I 3I partially rotates within the tubular sleeve I34. A helical spring I36 having one end I 31 engaging in a slot I38 while the other end I39 of the spring engages through one of a series of spaced perforations I49 in the shaft section I 3I. The tension of the spring I35 may be regulated by connecting the end I39 of the helical spring in one of the spaced perforations I40.

A partial rotation is given to the shaft I3I by the fiat spring 29, when same is depressed by a' tooth brush, as already described, and Which is accomplished in this modified form by the engagement of the flat spring 29 with crank end I4I formed upon the outer ends of the shaft section I32. upon the shaft section I32 which may be depressed by its contact with a fiat spring 29. By

A similar crank end I42 is formed I depressing the crank I4I the shaft section I32 will partially rotate to raise the finger 33 to a. position shown by the heavy broken line I43 (Fig, 9), the opposite crank end I42 upon the shaft section I 32 being held stationary and the shaft section turning in the swivel connections I33 and I 33 against the pressure of the conical springs I36 which are adjusted to limit the rotative movement to bring the finger I43 to the position shown in Fig, 9. An additional pressure by the depression of the flat spring 23 against the crank end I42 upon the shaft section I32 will bring additional pressure upon the shaft section I3I to give it additional rotar movement and bring the finger 33 up to the position shown by the heavy broken line I44, into the path of the spinning governor 34 and stop the operation of the music producing mechanism. A biasing spring I 45 is provided to urge the finger 33 to its normally lowest position. A spring I48, arcuate in shape and having notches I41 corresponding to the three positions of the finger 33, is provided.

The lugs I30 are formed with recesses I48 and are closed by contact with the ends of projecting rod formations I49 upon the housing.

I claim:

In a musical tooth brush holder comprising a housing containing a music producing unit having a locking and releasing trigger thereon, pockets upon the ends of the housing for receiving tooth brushes, actuating means within the pockets, operable by an inserted or withdrawn tooth brush, a rotatable cross bar engageable with the actuating means in the pockets and with trigger of the music producing unit, adapted to be actuated when one or both brushes are inserted within or withdrawn from the pockets, the said rotatable cross bar comprising three sections having swivel connecting means, one end section being fixed to the swivel and the opposing section being pivoted within the swivel, and a helical spring one end of which is attached to the swivel while the other end of the helical spring is secured to the opposing section of the cross bar to allow a limited rotary movement of one section of the cross bar respectively with the opposing section of the cross bar.

RUDOLPH F. KOPPEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,484,411 Kahler et a1 Oct. 11, 1949 2,501,822 Kuyler Mar. 28, 1950 

